Our Vision

Transformed rural communities with sustainable homes, strong families, and strategic community partnerships for the glory of God.

Our Mission

We are discovering, developing, and deploying spiritual leaders who, as disciples of Jesus Christ, minister with rural and under-resourced communities to create sustainable homes, strengthen families, and build strategic community partnerships for the glory of God.

We believe Christ’s love must be expressed in action to people in need. ARM is a hands on ministry; responding to people through Christian love with an emphasis in home repair and children’s ministry-it’s all about building the family!

Alabama Rural Ministry coordinates home repair efforts and children’s day camps in rural areas of Alabama. We are interdenominational but are connected to the United Methodist Church. All denominations are welcome to come and serve!

Our Values

  • Christ-centered
  • Compassionate servant leaders
  • Intentional strategic partnerships
  • Creative and thoughtful stewards

How We Serve

Our main way of combating poverty and providing home repair and children’s ministry is through volunteers. ARM hosts youth mission teams during the summer at two locations in Alabama: York and Tuskegee. Our site in Tuskegee runs year round allowing for Spring Breaks, Christmas Breaks, Fall breaks, and even mission retreat weekends. York runs only in the summer. Our mission teams serve with families who need home repair and/or provide engaging activities for children at our Sonshine Kids Day Camp.

Home Repair

The ARM staff assists teams coming to do home repair by purchasing materials, introducing teams to their families, and serving as technical assistants. Typical ARM projects include repairing and/or replacing roofs, ceilings, floors and walls. We also build steps and wheelchair ramps for elderly or disabled individuals. We match our projects with the skills of our volunteers, maximizing the services we are able to provide. Our service extends to plumbing and electrical work when our volunteers are able to do such work. If you are involved in a group with any of these skills, please consider a trip to ARM to help the elderly and disabled families of rural Alabama.

Day Camps

Teams working with the day camp serve alongside with the ARM day camp staff to plan Bible studies, songs, recreation activities and much more! Day camps are run similarly to Vacation Bible Schools and other day camp programs. Our volunteers are able to enhance the children’s experiences through interaction, whether it be fellowship, playing games, going on field trips, or presenting Bible stories and devotions. The children of the Sonshine Day Camp are truly remarkable in their ability to show love to so many volunteers that come in and out of their lives each summer. We invite anyone with a love for children to join us for this amazing experience this summer.

Our Story

ARM began in 1998 in Sumter County, AL. as a pilot project through the University of West Alabama Wesley Foundation (United Methodist Campus Ministry) and Auburn University. Founded by, Lisa Pierce, there was a heart and desire for two things: to minister to families on limited and fixed incomes in the rural parts of the community and to create intentional missional and discipleship encounters between all those involved.

ARM first started by hosting volunteer teams who served families by providing home repair such as repairing roofs, building wheel chair ramps, replacing flooring, etc. In 2001, we started a summer day camp called Sonshine Kids Day Camp. This was because we saw children in the community with very few opportunities for summer enrichment, growth, and nurture. Since then ARM has grown to two locations throughout the state. We now also serve in Macon, Lee, Russell, and Chambers counties. In addition to out of state volunteers, many volunteers are from the local area including Auburn and Tuskegee University, several churches, and civic organizations.

ARM has grown into other areas of housing including renovating abandoned homes, working with veterans, and exploring new builds. Since 2012, we have been renovating Tuskegee Methodist Church into a missions outreach center we call the Tuskegee Hub. The day camp ministry expanded in 2012 by partnering with I Am My Brother’s Keeper (IAMBK) that hosts an after school tutoring ministry in Tuskegee.